How odd: one night I’m watching an opera performed as though it was an oratorio, the next day I see an oratorio performed as an opera.

The main difference is that in an opera, the orchestra is in the pit while the singers move around the stage acting their parts too, while in an oratorio, the orchestra is behind the singers on the stage and the singers stand at lecterns. But whichever way you look at it, they were both rather wonderful.

First came Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida, which offered the highly unusual spectacle of a world premier of an opera that was written in 1839.

Its plot involves the mistress of an Italian King, which may have led to censorship problems and the decision to perform it in France instead.

Then the French company for which it was intended collapsed and the opera disappeared from view, though much of it was reworked under the title of La Favorita.

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The original was reconstructed from manuscripts found recently and it received its premiere, in a concert performance at the Royal Opera House on July 18.

Donizetti is one of the great 19th century opera composers, with his Fille du Regiment, Don Pasquale and Elisir d’Amore among the most popular of all comic operas, so it is no surprise that the music is terrific.

With Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khouri as the angel in the title and French bass-baritone Laurent Naouri in the comic role of the King’s Lord Chamberlain, it was all highly enjoyable fun, and I look forward to seeing it one day with the addition of a witty director turning it into a proper opera.

Handel’s Saul at Glyndebourne was a reversal of all that.

Until the imaginative Australian director Barrie Koski got his hands on it, Saul was one of Handel’s many biblical oratorios such as Judas Maccabeus, or Israel in Egypt, or the Messiah, but the plot of Saul offers something extra deserving an operatic treatment.

Michal played by Anna Devin (Image: nc)

Beginning with David slaying Goliath, it tells the tale of King Saul being driven mad by his envy of David, which only grows worse when David turns down the offer of marriage to Saul’s daughter.

Meanwhile, Saul’s other daughter is in love with David, while David has a bit of a crush on Saul’s son Jonathan.

It’s all good operatic stuff and Koski takes full advantage of the opportunities with stunning effect.

While the Orchesta of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Laurence Cummings, give a glorious account of Handel’s music, the curtain rises on the massive severed head of Goliath.

As the curtain moves higher, it reveals a tableau of townsfolk initially frozen but soon cheering wildly at David’s achievement.

The townsfolk, colourfully dressed, are a glorious use of the chorus in this production, which take full advantage of the opportunity to show their acting and dancing skills in impressive manner as well as their singing. Despite the sombre religious storyline, it’s all great fun.

The second half has an even more stunning start as the curtain rises on a stage lit by around 700 candles, the mysterious effect broken incongruously by a chamber organ rising from the ground Wurlitzer style and continuing to rotate as an organist plays a short concerto accompanied by beautifully restrained dancers in the background.

You need things like that if you’re going to turn an oratorio into an opera.

The amazing thing is that Koski never seems to be self-indulgent but shows great imagination in producing effects that are appropriate to the music and the story.

David (Lestyn Davies) and Saul (Marcus Brück) (Image: nc)

The singing is equally impressive, particularly that of Iestyn Davies as David.

His gloriously pure countertenor voice is one of the wonders of the operatic world and provided a wonderful contrast to Markus Brück’s growling Saul.

With a super chorus and outstanding support cast, it all added up to a real operatic treat to go with the magnificent music and stunning visuals.

The overall effect is completed with some amusingly modern dance to adorn some of the purely musical elements.

Saul may have begun life as an oratorio, but Glyndebourne and Barrie Koski have turned it into a worthy opera, even better and more confident this time than when it was first performed here three years ago.